I read all my reviews the other day and the sparked the passion of writing I used to get when the O.C. was once the best show to watch. I mean, when I watched it, it gave me the desire to write these chapters...and the dissapointment from the 4th season has frankly bummed me out. But reading these reviews, if anyone is still willing to give this story another shot, please do because I need to finish it the way I had planned! Please, read and review.
"Sum…" I heard someone calling my name. I couldn't place the voice, for it belonged to a young…female. My eyes shot open to see a pink room…a very familiar pink room. I leaned forward and looked around at the bed which was white and had pink sheets and stuffed animals all over the place. But something on the dresser caught my eye. A plastic pink horse. It was at that moment that I realized the room was my own. Not my room that I currently share with Seth, but my room from high school in my old home.
Holy crap, this can't be happening. I know this is a dream because I just fell asleep just a second ago. I tried to pinch myself but it didn't work. Please note, if you ever try to pinch yourself in a dream it won't work probably because you have to be your "physical self." Oh my God, I'm starting to sound like my philosophy teacher from Harbor. Another note…never take philosophy! "Summer, lets go!" Again, the soft voice of a young woman called out for me, coming from my bathroom. I walked closer, curious to see if I thought it was who I wanted it to be.
I turned the corner and saw brown haired girl putting on make up in front of the mirror. I stood, shocked, and some what afraid. She turned to me swiftly, her grey blue eyes looking at me in that perky way they always did and put her hand on her hip raising her eye. "…Coop?" She shook her head and laughed. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up!" I started to cry, I was so shaken up, and meanwhile it was in a dream. I'm such a loser. "Me too Coop!" I pulled her in a tight embrace and for a dream, it felt pretty damn real.
She pulled away and laughed again. At this point, I wouldn't mind the whole dream would be having her just laugh and talk for I would savor it either way. "What has gotten into you?" This was so weird, but I have no choice but to play along. I really have no idea of what year it is or what she wanted me to wake up for so bad. "Um, so where are we going again?" She turned away from the mirror again and looked at me, this time being more serious. "To Holly's party, remember?" Let's see, we were only friends with Holly up until sophomore year, so this must be that summer. "Oh yeah…" Marissa dropped her lip-gloss on the counter and grabbed my shoulders. "Sum, we were just at the fashion show and we came here to change in our bikinis?"
And then it clicked. I was at the beginning of everything. When Ryan first came, when Seth and I really met, and when Marissa's problems just started to reach their peak. "Oh, my bad." She smirked and grabbed one of my favorite bikinis I ever had, off a hook. I wish I could take it back to reality with me. "Here, put this on, and we'll go."
In Marissa's old silver Jeep Cherokee, I kept stealing glances at her while she drove. I can't really help it. This dream is so real and I can't get over the feelings you can receive from just a dream. It was all so overwhelming. I mean, I even looked at myself in the mirror above my seat and was shocked to see how young I was! Now as a 24 year old, I had more lines on my face then a piece college ruled paper. But that's just me being that fake, insecure, teenage girl every woman still has deep inside of them.
Music was blasting so loud that I was surprised no windows shattered. I could have sworn when Marissa and I walked up to the front door, I saw some guy, extremely plastered, fall into a bush by the mailbox. Man, I can't believe I used to come to these parties. When we walked through the door, the scene in front of me was how I remembered. People in the corner doing coke, people in the kitchen blending margaritas and if not that, then they probably had no idea what they were blending. Everyone else were grinding against one another in the living room, but I had no time to look for anyone because I was pulled away quickly.
Whoever it was had grabbed my elbow and as I pulled it away from their grasp, I looked sharply over my right shoulder. It was Holly. The weird thing is to look at her in this dream as a 15 year old and I know that she ended up moving to Colorado to marry a professional down hill skier. I know what your thinking, why didn't she stay with the beach scene? Well, who the hell knows!
"Summer, we waited for you guys for like, ever!" There it is, like. Boy was I a victim of that awesomely annoying girl slang. When I became a writer, I learned that you can't exactly use like just for the hell of it. A sarcastic laugh left my mouth. "Yeah, well, I can see you were just fine starting without us." Holly smiled and drank out of her red cup. Of course, she didn't catch my sarcasm because…well…it was Holly.
At this point, all I wanted was a good, strong drink. I walked over to the "bar" a.k.a., a table with bottles and bottles of vodka. There I saw Marissa pouring something in her mixture, trying to pull her purse strap back on her shoulder once she poured the bottle. I saw her suddenly tense up and I followed her gaze to none other then Ryan Atwood. He was all dressed up, with his tie loosened and his hair ruffled. I laughed at the fact that we were ever this young. Being my "teenage" self, I nudged Marissa in the side with my elbow and raised my eyebrow. "Well, go get 'em!" I whispered just for her to hear. She looked at me surprised and then leaned in to whisper in a reply. "But I though you liked him?"
I almost spit out my drink, no lie. "Oh Coop, trust me…my type is more of the Seth Cohen type." I laughed and took a sip of my mixture. But over the top of my cup, Marissa's jaw was dropped and her expression seemed a cross between confused and shocked. Crap, I forgot this was way before Seth and I even talked. "Did I say Seth Cohen? I meant…" I left, I just walked away. There was no way I could talk myself out of that one…ever. At least, as far as this dream goes.
Later on that night, after I turned guy after guy down who offered to bump and grind with me, I walked outside to get fresh air. When I finally made my way past the groups of kids, I was on the porch overlooking the beach. There was a campfire that a few water polo players I recognized were standing around, but other then that, the beach was pretty blah. There was something next to me, making an obnoxious noise and of course when you hear something out of the ordinary you have to look.
But when I did, I regretted it. Seth Cohen. He was on his knees on the ground, his shoulders slouched and was fiddling with the nearby keg. I bent over, looking around first to see if anyone saw this unbelievable site of a young Seth, but again, it was just a dream. A few stray hairs fell into my face and I pushed them behind my ear. Seth finally said what he was mumbling, louder. "There we go. It's fixed…just a little…tug…on that thing and there you have it…" He put his hand on his knee to push himself from the ground and turned but was so shocked to see me that he fell backwards. "Cohen!" I gasped as he hit his head on the keg. I ran to his side and put my hand in his.
"Summer Roberts? Is it really your hand on my hand right now?" He mumbled it, but I have been around him for so long that it's another language that I've picked up. "Are you ok?" His eyes rolled back and he closed them tightly, mumbling yet another few words. "Thank you Jesus…Moses, your teamwork is highly appreciated." I laughed and helped him sit up while some people who walked by caught my glance, sending confused looks right and left.
He stood up and I did as well and I looked up at him as he dried off his pant leg. "I'll see you later?" He smiled hesitaiting slightly, and looked down at his feet like an insecure little girl would. "Yeah, that would be cool. I mean, if you're up for that? Would that be ok? Because we could go sailing or like, go get comics and yeah…" I smiled, he really was adorkable. "I would love that."
About two boring hours later, I searched the house for Marissa. It was impossible to find this girl, even though you would think her being so tall would change that. Some people were filing out the door, looking too trashed to drive. I started getting nervous, thinking on to all the nights I was on duty to drive Marissa home. She really never had any control with what she drank, she drank alcohol like a 4 year old watches Blues Clues…consistently and obsessed. I saw Holly speed to the kitchen and grab her car keys, giving me a frustrated look.
"Ugh, I have to drive Marissa home again, do you want to come?" I realized this must have been one of those nights, Holly's turn. "Yeah." Following Holly out to the car and getting in, I saw Marissa's practically lifeless body sprawled out on the backseat. This image was not new to me, but these days, she looks better then she does in a hospital bed. We drove to the infamous cul-de-sac and pulled in the Cooper's driveway. Holly stepped out and opened the back door which Marissa's upper body was facing. "Well…you at least…help me…or something." She said, slightly slurring when saying something. Making my way to the open door, I helped ease Marissa out and set her gently on the ground.
After doing this, Holly sorted through Marissa's purse, not finding any house key. She giggled and looked at me with glazed eyes only those few drunks give. "Let's just leave her here…" Glancing back at my friend, I realized I was once a horrible friend. Had I once really left her in her parent's driveway for them to find her when they walked out to get their paper or walk the dog? She had never mentioned it to me, which makes me think she always held it against me. Sighing, I looked up as if the stars were a guide to a map I could not see. Instead, I saw a shadow from beyond the fence and that's when I knew…Marissa probably wasn't sitting in this driveway all night.
"Hey Holly, you can go, and I can check the back door." I said, looking at her as she raised herself off the ground, trying to balance at the same time. "Really Sum? You're such a good friend." She got in her car and pealed out. Some friend she was. Looking back up to the fence that spit the two properties, I spoke gesturing my hand in a signal. "You know, I would really appreciate it if you could help me." Silence. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe no one saved Marissa that night. I'm going crazy, aren't I? Then all of a sudden, foot steps neared and I looked up to see Ryan kneeling down and scooping up Coop in his arms. It was straight out of The Valley to me.
He hadn't spoken a word, just tucked her in his bed as I leaned against the doorframe, amused. It tugged at my heart, knowing they really were in love. Looking at the old Ryan and the new Ryan freaked me out because they were so different, and yet the same person. Walking towards me at a slow, Ryan pace, he looked at me in the eyes. "She's ok now…you can go if you want." I smiled at his politeness, but shook my head. "Actually, I was wondering if I could stay with her for a while if you don't mind."
Reviews would be awesome guys, thanks for reading if you have. :) - DOT